Virulence: meaning, definitions and examples

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virulence

[ˈvɪrjʊləns ]

Definitions

^{Context #1 | Noun}

medical

The ability of a microorganism to cause disease in a host. It is often measured by the severity of the symptoms caused by the infection.

Synonyms

infectiousness, pathogenicity.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

Word	Description / Examples
virulence	Typically used in a scientific or medical context to describe the severity or harmfulness of a disease or pathogen. It indicates how aggressive and damaging a microorganism is. The virulence of the flu virus this season has led to a higher number of hospitalizations
infectiousness	Often used in public health and epidemiology to describe how easily a disease can spread from person to person. It focuses on the contagiousness rather than the severity. The infectiousness of measles makes it crucial to vaccinate children to prevent outbreaks
pathogenicity	Commonly used in microbiology and medical fields to describe the ability of an organism to cause disease. It emphasizes the quality of being pathogenic. The pathogenicity of this new bacterial strain is being studied to develop effective treatments

Word

Description / Examples

virulence

Typically used in a scientific or medical context to describe the severity or harmfulness of a disease or pathogen. It indicates how aggressive and damaging a microorganism is.

The virulence of the flu virus this season has led to a higher number of hospitalizations

infectiousness

Often used in public health and epidemiology to describe how easily a disease can spread from person to person. It focuses on the contagiousness rather than the severity.

The infectiousness of measles makes it crucial to vaccinate children to prevent outbreaks

pathogenicity

Commonly used in microbiology and medical fields to describe the ability of an organism to cause disease. It emphasizes the quality of being pathogenic.

The pathogenicity of this new bacterial strain is being studied to develop effective treatments

Examples of usage

The virulence of the virus was evident in the high mortality rate among infected individuals.
Researchers are studying the virulence of different strains of bacteria to understand their impact on human health.

^{Context #2 | Noun}

general

The intensity or harmfulness of a negative quality or force, such as anger or criticism.

Synonyms

intensity, severity.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

Word	Description / Examples
virulence	Typically used in medical or biological contexts to describe the degree of harmfulness of a disease or pathogen. Often has a negative connotation. The virulence of the virus has increased over time. Scientists are studying the virulence of the new strain.
severity	Often used to describe the seriousness or extent of something bad or unpleasant, such as weather, conditions, or diseases. Generally carries a negative connotation. The severity of the injury required immediate medical attention. The severity of the punishment seemed excessive.
intensity	Used in general contexts to describe the degree or strength of something. It can be positive or negative depending on the situation. The intensity of the storm took everyone by surprise. Her intensity during the workout was impressive.

Word

Description / Examples

virulence

Typically used in medical or biological contexts to describe the degree of harmfulness of a disease or pathogen. Often has a negative connotation.

The virulence of the virus has increased over time.
Scientists are studying the virulence of the new strain.

severity

Often used to describe the seriousness or extent of something bad or unpleasant, such as weather, conditions, or diseases. Generally carries a negative connotation.

The severity of the injury required immediate medical attention.
The severity of the punishment seemed excessive.

intensity

Used in general contexts to describe the degree or strength of something. It can be positive or negative depending on the situation.

The intensity of the storm took everyone by surprise.
Her intensity during the workout was impressive.

Examples of usage

The virulence of his words caused a rift in their relationship.
The political debate was marked by the virulence of the candidates' attacks on each other.

Interesting Facts

Etymology

The word originated from the Latin term 'virulentus', meaning 'toxic' or 'poisonous'.
It evolved from 'virulentia', a Latin term that refers to the quality of being poisonous.

Microbiology

Different germs have varying levels of virulence; some can make us very sick, while others might only cause mild symptoms.
Virulence factors are specific traits of a germ that help it to invade a host, evade the immune system, or cause damage.
Vaccines can help lower the virulence of certain diseases, making them less harmful.

History

In the late 19th century, scientists began to understand the concept of virulence in relation to infectious diseases.
The term gained prominence during outbreaks of cholera and other epidemics, where varying degrees of germ severity were observed.

Medicine

Antibiotic resistance can increase the virulence of certain bacteria, leading to more severe infections.
Understanding virulence helps doctors decide on the best treatment options for infections.

Pop Culture

Movies about pandemics often focus on virulent strains of viruses that spread quickly and cause widespread illness.
Documentaries on infectious diseases explore how virulence impacts global health and response strategies.

Translations

Translations of the word "virulence" in other languages:

🇵🇹 virulência

🇮🇳 विषाणुता

🇩🇪 Virulenz

🇮🇩 virulensi

🇺🇦 вірулентність

🇵🇱 wirulencja

🇯🇵 毒性 (どくせい)

🇫🇷 virulence

🇪🇸 virulencia

🇹🇷 virülans

🇰🇷 독성 (독성)

🇸🇦 ضراوة

🇨🇿 virulence

🇸🇰 virulencia

🇨🇳 毒性 (dúxìng)

🇸🇮 virulenca

🇮🇸 sýkingarmáttur

🇰🇿 вируленттілік

🇬🇪 ვირულენტობა

🇦🇿 virulentlik

🇲🇽 virulencia

Word Frequency Rank

At position #14,890, this word is part of sophisticated English vocabulary. It's useful for academic or professional contexts where precise language is needed.

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14887 peg
14888 antithesis
14889 chained
14890 virulence
14891 duplex
14892 forbearance
14893 cropped
...